After sleeping on a three-stroke advantage, Jones’ nerves almost got the better of him, but the Aussie collected the hardware at The Australian Golf Club in Rosebery today.
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Australian Rhein Gibson is five shots back in third, with compatriots Aron Price and Lincoln Tighe one shot further back.
Rod Pampling of Australia pumps his fist as he celebrates hitting…
Spieth looked down and out after three bogeys in his first four holes of the third round, but clawed his way back with birdies at the fifth, six and ninth holes — dampened by a bogey at the eighth. “I was just trying to get it close on the last, but it tracked nicely and went in”.
“It’s unbelievable. I didn’t think it would be enough coming in”.
Jones stumbled out of the blocks, making a double bogey and triple bogey on his front side to go out in 4-over 39 before rallying with a 2-under 34 on the back to win.
Jones grew up in Oyster Bay in Sydney’s southern suburbs and graduated from The Australian Golf Club’s pennant team, leaving Australia more than a decade ago to take up a golf scholarship in the United States, then turning professional.
The European Ryder Cup captain is joined on one under by Australian Adam Scott, who recovered from a 73 on Friday to shoot 68, including an eagle on the 18th. “On the weekend you’d like to start off your rounds and be able to gain some momentum and I just didn’t get anything at the beginning, ” he said. The consolation prize was, by his finish, Pampling earned a spot in the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon.
After starting the day at four over and 14 strokes off the pace, Pampling dropped another shot on the first hole before racking up nine birdies and then draining a 70-foot putt for eagle on the par-5 18th to set the Open alight.
“But to have my name on this trophy with the likes of (Jack) Nicklaus, (Jack) Newton, (Greg) Norman and so many greats of this game is a dream come true for me knowing now I am an Australian Open victor”.
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Scott is winless this year and his streak of capturing at least one tournament every year since 2001 could end if he doesn’t win his final tournament of the year in early December – the Hero World Challenge at his home base of the Bahamas. You can be one swing away from doing what I did and having no chance to win.
